Dec. 2 (UPI) -- Twentieth Century Fox says it has stopped shooting Bohemian Rhapsody, featuring Rami Malek as the iconic lead singer of the rock band Queen.

"Twentieth Century Fox Film has temporarily halted production on Bohemian Rhapsody due to the unexpected unavailability of Bryan Singer," the studio said in a statement to The Hollywood Reporter Friday.

The entertainment industry trade newspaper said the U.S. director had been showing up late to the movie's set in England and failed to return to work after the Thanksgiving break.

A representative for the filmmaker told the BBC in a statement Singer's absence is due to "a personal health matter concerning Bryan and his family."

"Bryan hopes to get back to work on the film soon after the holidays," the statement said.